Progress in segmental neoprene-injected pancreas transplantation. Advantages and disadvantages of using Cyclosporin A

We performed 39 neoprene-injected pancreatic transplants (38 segmental and 1 total) in 37 insulin-dependent diabetic recipients from October 1976 to May 1983. The best results were obtained when the pancreas was transplanted simultaneously with the kidney (25 cases). The use of Cyclosporin A (CyA) for immunosuppression did not reduce the early pancreatic failures, but it seems to have slightly improved the long-term survival. The glycaemic control was better in patients treated by CyA alone than in those receiving steroids. The main side effects of CyA were nephrotoxicity and some immunoglobulin abnormalities with or without lymphoproliferative disorders occurring after treatment with CyA and ALG.